Electrical apparatus



July '1s 1926.

. V. PAQUIT ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed August 17. 1920 Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED stares PATENT oFFicE.

vrrAL rAoUim, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

Application nieu august i7, i920. serial no. 404,11*?.

My present invention relates primarily to ignition apparatus especially for explosive motors, such as for aeroplanes and other vehicles, although some ot the features are useful in connection with electrical generating and distributing systems and apparatus genpensive and in which each yspark impulse is nevertheless, effectively conveyed toward the spark plug for which it is intended Without likelihood of interference.

My invention is particularly concerned with a system including yapparatus havingr preferably the lgeneral characteristics and external appearance of a magneto arranged with respect to the storage battery or other source of current usually provided on inotor vehicles in such manner as to secure the coinbined advantages of batt-ery ignition for low speeds and magneto ignition for high speeds.

According to a preferred construction the 'distributor and breaker are operated at equal speeds which for a four stroke cycle engine regardless of the number of cylinders is half' engine speed, the rotors of the ydistributor and of the breaker being both preferably .mounted upon the driving shaft- Another feature of the invention in Vits preferred forni is the provision of a distributorl in which the terminals that lead to the spark plugs are arranged in two or more sets, the rotor having several contacts, one corresponding to each set. Preferably the terminals are arranged to provide suliicient vspace between them even With the use of a distributor of small diameter. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotor comprises acylinder of insulating; inaterial upon which are disposed rotor contacts spaced from each other both longitudinally and circuinferentially, these contacts having; electric yterminals or brushes in their pat ufor conveying the secondary current to the spark plugs.

In the accompanyingdrawings l have shown an illustrative application of iny invention to a four cylinder engine, it being ineens not shoivn.

understood, as will appear more` fully below, that the invention is a plicable to engines of any number of cylin ers. Y l In the aoconujanyingr drawings in which is 'shown one of 'various possible embodiinents of the several features of the 'inven tion 1 is a view in longitudinal section, parts being shown broken away, of a preL er'red ',Eor'in ot ignition apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken alongv the line 2 4). of Fig. 1, and;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of preferred circuit connections, the. distribue tor being cliagranirnatically shown in developed form.

This invention is an improvement upon that of my `Patent No. 1,244,124., granted October 2B, 1917. l

Referring' to the drawings I have shovvn a trarne 1 having preferably the general eX- ternal appearance of a rnafrneto and coinprising a base provided with ball'or roller bearings 2 mounted in bearing; holders A and B for a driving shaft 3 and a coil case ingv upper trarne portion 4 Wliich rnay be horse-shoe shaped between the ends 5 of which the induction coil ois supported by The induction coil is of conventional construction comprising a mag netic core 7 encircled by a primary coil 8 'and a secondary coil 9. 'A

Upon the 'driving shaft 3 are preferably mounted both the distributor rotor 10 and the cam ll of Fig. 3, said rotor being pref crably of cylindrical forni. The distrib'utor inthe embodiment shown for use with four-cylinder 'engines consists of a cylinder 12 of insulating material having a pair of electrical contacts 121-15 flush with the Surface thereof. The contacts are rectangular in developed forni as' Vshcuvn in Fig. 3 and constitute segments of rings or collars upon the rotor. The contacts are spaced from each other axially by a substantial distance i7 and are radially spaced by 90 or a quad rant as at 18.

Four contacting elements, preferably in the torrn of brushes -21-#22-#23 are proL vided, brushes 2O and 22 being in the path of contact 14 and brushes 22 and 23 in the path of contact 15.v The tour brushes preiv erably lie in a cornmon plane axial of the rotor as best shown in Fig. 2, brushes 20H21 being in alignment along an element of the spark plugs being energized once during each complete revolution of the rotor. Preferably I place two of the terminals 40 in the path of each rotor contact. For a six cylinder engine I would by preference arrange the six terminals, three upon each side of the rotor, three contacts being provided upon the rotor, one in the path of each pair of diametrically opposite contacting eiements, the rotor contacts bein spaced from each other circumferentially y angles of 120. For an eight cylinder engine, the rotor Would have four contacts, preferably at equal intervals longitudinally thereof and at intervals of 45 circumferentially thereof, there being four pairs of dia'metrically opposite contacting elements, one pair in the path of each of said contacts and for a tvvelve cylinder engine I would preferably arrange six contacts upon the rotor at equal `angular intervals of 30, each contact being in the path of two diametrically opposite contacting elements. Y

In general the contacts are arranged upon a helix on the cylindrical rotor and the contacting elements in a common plane axial of the rotor. 0f course, the contactingy elements might be arranged upon a helix and the contacts ina common plane upon the rotor, this reversal producing results broadly equivalent to those specifically set-forth.

It is also apparent that my invention might be embodied in constructions in which three or more terminals have contacts in the path of each of the rotor contacts. In general, assuming the engine for which the apparatus is intended, to have ct a: cylinders, contacts a in number might be provided upon the rotor, each of the contacts having in its path terminals (b) in number; or Vcontacts (b) in number might be provided upon the rotor, each having in its path terminals (a) in number.

rlhe invention is clearly applicable also to engines having an odd number of cylinders. Thus, in a nine cylinder engine, the terminals might be arranged in three sets of three each, the rotor carrying three contacts, one corresponding to each set of terminals.

Thus, my invention is embodied in a construction in Vwhich the terminals are `distributed both about and along the length of a rotor, preferably in sets disposed in parallcl planes. `Although the number of terminais of the various sets are preferably equal, this is not essential, any construction of the type set forth in Which the circuits are successively closed at equal angular intervals during operation coming Within the scope of my invention.

It Will be apparent that by arranging the contacts in the mener set forth, spacing them from each other both axially` of the rotor and circumferentially thereof, I provider a suflicient distance therebetween to prevent interference between the circuits to the various spark plugs, Where a distributor of a materially larger diameter would be reuired to avoid this difficulty should all of t e contacts be placed in one and the same lane, particularly for an engine having a arge number of cylinders.

If desired, the coil casing together with the coil mounted therein may be made quickdetachable by the combined mechanical and electrical plug and socket connections shown Although the invention has its preferred application in a high tension ignition system, as set forth, it is apparent that it may be applied to advantage also in a low tension system.

The same apparatus may be used upon a two-stroke cycle engine in which case it would, of course, be operated at engine speed instead of at `lialfen,f ine speed.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several. features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is Well suited to meet the requirements of practical use. f

As many changes Could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be made Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. In a device of the class described, in

combination, ka frame having e base for motor attachment characterized by the appearance of a magneto in which said frame comprises a coil casing upper frame portion, the lower portion havinga distributor housing closed by seid upper frame portion, a coil in said upper frame portion, a condenser adjacent one end of said upper frame portion, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said lower portion, saidpcircuit breaker and condenser being located on seme vertical and providing `for short connection between each other, a rotor distributor of elongated form in said housing, a shaft with bearing arrangement in said lower portion to axially rotate the said distributor in a plane parallel to the base of the frame, said shaft having both ends projecting outside of said frame, a cam with projections fixed to one end of said shaft and carried by said end Withinthe enclosure of the circuit breaker, a plurality of contacting elements disposed on and about said rotor distributor, terminals provided to said upper frame. portion in line parallel to the axis of the distributor, and means adapted to convey the ignition current from the distributor to said terminals.

2. A device of the class described having the general external appearance of a mag'- neto and having' the following characteristics, a-coil casing' upper frame portion, a condenser adjacent one end thereof, a coil in said casing', a brush connected with said coil and projecting' from said casing', the lower portion of said device providing a housing closed by said upper frame portion, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said lower portion, the said circuit breaker and condenser being' located near each other on same vertical, a rotor distributor of elongated form in said housing', a rotary cam with projections to operate the circuit breaker, a common shaft for said cam and distril'nitor, said shaft having' a bearing arrangement provided to said lower portion to axially i'otate said distributor in said housing in a plane parallel to the base of the device, said shaft having both ends projecting' outside of said lower portion and having' xed to one end thereof a cam with projections carried by said end within the arrangement of the circuit breaker, the projections of the cam operating' the circuit breaker in operative relation with respect to contacting elements substantially1 exposed on the surface of said distributor, the said contacting elements being` in number half of the projections of the cam and contacting with a number of stationary elements double of the said contacts on the distributor, terminals for spark plugs connection provided to said upper fra-me portion in line parallel to the axis of the distributor, and means for conveying the ignition current from said stationary elements to said terminals.

3. The combination of a device of the class described` a frame having' a base for motor attachment provided with a coil casing' upper fran'ie portion, a coil in said casing. a conductible element connected with said coil and projecting` from said casing', a condenser adjacent one end of said upper portion, the lower portion of the device prorwading a distributor housing parallel to the base of said device, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said lower portion, a cam with projections to operate said circuit breaker, a rotor distributor of elongated form in said housing', a common shaft for said distributor and cam, bearing' arrangement for said shaft to axially rotatel said distributor in said housing, said shaft having,T both ends projecting' outside of said frame, one end serving for engine connece tion and the other end having` fixed thereto the said cam carried within the circuit breaker arrangement, said distributor operating' between the bearings),` arrangement and. carrying' a plurality of electrical contacts substantially exposed on its surface for coaction with stationary contacting elements disposed to operate at consecutive intervals wherein a single Contact of said distributor is in the path of two said stationary contacting' elements diametrically opposed through the axis of the distrilnitor. terminals provided to the upper portion of said frame in plane parallel to the axis of the distributor, and means to convey the ignition current from said stationary elements to said terminals.

4r. ln ignition system for high tension battery ignition for internal combustion engine, a unit having' a coil casing' upper frame portion, said portion being parallel to the axis of the distributor in said unit. a coil in said casing, said casing' having' adja cent one. end thereof a condenser, terminals for spark plugs connectitai hori'fzontally aligned above said casing', a rotor distributor of elongated forni enclosed in the lower portion of the unit. a shaft with bearing arrangement located at both eud walls of the lower portion to axially rotate said distributor in said portion, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said lower portion, i tion-ary contacting elements about said rotor distributor, means for conveying' the ignition current from said stationary contacting' elements to said terminals above the casing', and the various spark plugs circuit connected to said terminals being' operated by means of a plurality of electrical contacta spaced on the circumference of the rotor distributor and within the said elongated form thereof.

The combination of a rotor distributor having' a plurality of electrical contacts equispaced alongside its axis and coopera with a plurality of stationary contactingl elements adapted to operate the dietriliation of the ignition current by the combination of a frame enclosingl said diatribe in the lower portion thereof. a coil cas hermetically enclosing said. distrib utor in tl frame, a coil in said casing, breaker n'iechanism adjacent one end of the lower portion of said frame, means connecting' said coil with said distributor, and means adapted to connect said contacting elements with the terminals provided upon said casing` for Aspark plugs connections.

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scribed, said distributor being of elongated form and carrying contacting elements moving in the pat-h of a plurality of stationary elements longitudinally spaced about said rotor distributor in a plane parallel to its axis and between the bearing arrangementv of the shaft carrying the said distributor.

7. In ignition apparatus, in combination, a distributor housing having` a base for motor attachment, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said housing, a shaft having a bearing arangement provided at both ends of said housing, demountable bearing holders for said bearing arrangement, one of said bearings having a portion projecting outside oi said housing, the projecting portion serving for the circuit breaker arrangement, a coil casing constituting an upper portion for said housing, a coil in said casing, said coil and casing having a position parallel to the axis of the distributor, said distributor being of elongated form and axially rotated by said shaft in said distributor housing in combination with horizontally aligned brushes within said housing. 8. In ignition apparatus7 a distributor of elongated form enclosed in a trame having a base for motor attachment and having a bearing arrangement provided at both ends thereof, a shaft carrying said distributor be- .tween said bearing arangeinent and axially rotating same within the enclosure of said frame, means projecting from said frame and impinging upon said distributor in a plane parallel to its axis, terminals for spark plugs connection connected with said means and aligned in a plane parallel to the axis of the distributor, a circuit breaker adjacent one end of said frame and having a bearing arrangement of the distributor therebetween.

9. A device of the class described comprising two portions forming a unit, said unit having a base for motor attachment parallel to the axis of the distributor thereof, said distributor being ot elongated form and located in the portion having the base, a circuit breaker mechanism mounted adjacent one end of said unit, a condenser externally located near said circuit breaker mechanism, a common shaft for said distributor and circuit breaker, a plurality of horizontally aligned brushes within the lower portion of said unit which are removable therefrom as shown in the accompanying drawings,-

a coil in the upper portion of said unit and means to connect said coil with said distributor.

` l0. In ignition apparatus, a single unit comprising a coil casing upper frame portion thereof, a coil in said casing, and an electrical element connected with said coil and projecting from said casing to connect the distributor of said unit with said coil in the form described.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 12th day of August A. D. 1920.

VITAL PAQUIT. 

